In the bedding industry, bedding foundations and spring cores used for mattresses have at least one border wire. The border wire may assume a rectangular shape, including a square.
The border wires of spring cores used for mattresses and sometimes furniture, including seating products, are usually made from wire having a circular cross-section. However, applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/821,754, published on Dec. 29, 2011 as Publication No. 2011/0314613, and fully incorporated by reference herein, discloses a spring core having a border wire having a rectangular cross-section.
In addition, a bedding foundation or box spring may have a rectangular border wire having a circular cross-section. However, applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,327,475 and 8,332,974, each being fully incorporated by reference herein, disclose a bedding foundation having a border wire having a rectangular cross-section.
Straightening wire having a rectangular cross-section requires a different apparatus than straightening wire having a circular cross-section. The apparatus used to straighten wire having a circular cross-section requires adjustment to the machinery be made manually. The apparatus used to straighten wire having a rectangular cross-section may use servo motors to manipulate the wire electronically. Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/179,039, fully incorporated by reference herein, discloses an apparatus used to straighten wire having a rectangular cross-section. The use of servo motors enables wire having a rectangular cross-section to be straightened quickly and easily without manual mechanical adjustments. The set-up time is much less with the apparatus disclosed in applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/179,039.
Thus, a need exists in the art for an automated method of making a border wire made of wire having a rectangular cross-section.